Aged between 26 and 36, five Mumbai-based women who worked on the Indo-French co-production talk to us about finding resonance with its primary characters — three nurses working in the maximum city — as well as the theme of hope that runs through the film despite the hardships faced by the characters. Akhila Menon, Piyusha Chalke, Rutu Suthar, Nikita Parikh and Prabhati Gharat ruminate on the experience that recalibrated their outlooks towards their chosen lines of work as well as city of residence — two overarching influences in their lives.
Edited excerpts from the conversation…
Tell us a little bit about yourselves and how you came to work on All We Imagine As Light…
Akhila Menon (AM): Hi, I’m Akhila, I worked as the associate costume designer on the film. I was born and brought up in Mumbai but I’m originally from Kerala. I have done my fashion [degree] from NIFT (National Institute of Film Technology) Delhi and after that I started working in the industry. How I landed up on this film is through Maxima Basu, the costume designer of the film. I’ve been working with her for the last two years, as an associate.
Piyusha Chalke (PC): Hi, I’m Piyusha, I’m the production designer. I was born and brought up in Mumbai. I pursued my bachelor’s from [Sir] J. J. School of Art, in applied art, and then I did my master’s from FTII [Film and Television Institute of India]. Yashasvi [Sabharwal] and I — both production designers — are from the same batch in FTII. She introduced me to Payal [Kapadia; director-screenwriter of All We Imagine As Light].
Rutu Suthar (RS): Hi, my name is Rutu. I was the director’s assistant and the second unit director. I currently live in Mumbai but I was born and brought up in Ahmedabad. I pursued my bachelor’s degree from MIT Institute of Design [in Pune] where I studied film. I work with Chalk & Cheese Films in Mumbai. Zico [Maitra; co-founder] — who is one of the producers on the film — when I initially started working with them — had asked me, “We are doing advertising but would you like to do long format at some point?” When we were working on developing the film and working on pre-production, one of our colleagues sent me the script and that was practically my first day of work. A week later, I met Payal and Riku [Ranabir Das; cinematographer and creative producer of All We Imagine As Light].
Nikita Parikh (NP): Hi, my name is Nikita. I am the associate producer. I actually studied a bunch of things — psychology, English. I have a master’s degree in social sciences from Tata Institute [Tata Institute of Social Sciences] in Mumbai. Having a varied education really helps me to be a better producer. I don’t necessarily see not having gone to film school as a disadvantage. I clearly remember going to the premiere of A Night Of Knowing Nothing [Kapadia’s 2021 film] with my colleagues at Chalk & Cheese. And what really struck me about Payal is her way of working through the medium of fiction to tell stories that are rooted in reality and are socially engaged. She is such a great hybrid film-maker — watching A Night Of Knowing Nothing was a big reason for me to want to work with her.
Prabhati Gharat (PG): Hi, I’m Prabhati. I was the assistant cinematographer and camera operator. I was born and brought up in Palghar ---- I finished my schooling there. Then, I completed my Bachelor’s in Mass Media from St. Xavier’s [College] in Bombay [Mumbai]. After that, I went to FTII and studied cinematography. Ranabir was my batchmate and we studied together. In film school, we would end up collaborating with each other on our projects. I remember I had told him, “Whenever you make your first feature, I want to be a part of it.” A Night Of Knowing Nothing was more like a docu-fiction so I couldn’t really involve myself in the making of it or during post [post-production] but when the fiction work began, I joined them.
What were your early influences and how did you get a start in the industry?
AM: I studied engineering but after I finished my course, I realised that I didn’t want to pursue it. I looked for a course that interested me and that’s how I ended up with a master’s in fashion. A year into working as a merchandiser and buyer at Shoppers Stop, I realised that that wasn’t my cup of tea either. My brother, who works as a production designer, nudged me toward costume design in films as a career option. I started interning and was captivated by the art of building characters — a new character with every new project — and the process of interpreting how and why they should dress in a certain way. I’ve been working for about six years now as an associate costume designer.
PC: I was always the one who would do the backdrops for musicals or any theatre production in school. And also, I was content with never being on stage. During my course at JJ, I discovered production design. I decided to gain practical experience and started assisting — mainly, in Marathi films. And after about one-and-a-half years, I joined FTII, to study production design. That changed my entire view on how I look at films today.
RS: When I was 13 or 14 years old, I had seen a film where one of the lead characters is an art director. I was so inspired by it. After finishing school, I joined a design school where I studied film. I found myself interested in direction, writing, cinematography — every aspect of film-making. Then I moved to Mumbai and got into advertising. But my interest really lay in making films and working on long format.
NP: I started my career making documentaries for an NGO called Teach For India where I worked as a field producer for five years.. And that experience continues to influence the kinds of films that I take up. Over those five years, I realised that I thrive on being on sets where I’m surrounded by creatives. I love that pace of work and hecticness. I’m not the kind of person who can do a nine-to-five job. Payal’s film is my first fiction feature. And I enjoyed it equally.
PG: My early influences have to do with my brother who has been working in the ad industry. I also developed an interest in photography because of him. In my bachelor’s course, I chose advertising as my specialisation and that is where I was headed. But in my last year in Xavier’s, I ended up assisting a friend on a short film. And I was drawn to it. Right after college, I applied for direction at FTII. When you think of film-making, you think of direction. I did get through the entrance examination and went for the interview, but I kind of self-sabotaged it because by then I knew that I wanted to pursue cinematography. So I worked as an AD [assistant director] that year and applied for cinematography the following year. It was in FTII that I met Payal and Riku.
Does the Mumbai in the film align with your personal experiences of the city?
AM: The story revolves around two nurses who come from Kerala to work here. And the hardships that they face in this city. This part of their experiences does resonate with me. It’s part of our day-to-day lives as well. But we cope because there’s a hope that we share — that this city will help you realise your dreams.
PC: Mumbai, for me, has always been home. I can never have enough of it. Even with its struggles, it is home…and more than anything else, it’s about the people who live here. And the film reflects on that a lot. Sometimes, for a moment, I feel like I know the characters, these are people I’ve seen around me — their lives and even their everyday struggles. I know “the Mumbai spirit” is a little romanticised. But it’s also very true. Even when the city is flooded, you know that everybody will be going into work the next day. I have done that. So I am very much into that spirit. And it does give everyone hope, regardless of whether you were born or brought up here. There are people from everywhere in this city and those who come here are not from any specific strata of society or region. Where else would you find so many types of people — this is what I absolutely love about Mumbai.
RS: I would say it’s true — even from the POV of a person who’s migrated to the city. I’m not glamourising Mumbai. I often find beauty in the city in the smallest of things. I don’t necessarily have to take a walk at Bandstand to find beauty here. It’s also about the chat with your rickshaw wala on your way back home after a long day at work. He tells you his story. He’s also here from somewhere else. How you find happiness in this city is often enmeshed in the smaller things. And the hope of a better life, of a better future, of a better lifestyle — this is also depicted in the film.
NP: I was born and brought up in Mumbai, and I’ve always lived here — and I’ve always tried to run away from here. The city is too much for me…but working on this film — I wouldn’t say that I’ve fallen in love with the city — helped me to become better friends with it. In my interpretation, the hope comes from love. Even Payal’s last film, A Night Of Knowing Nothing, is a love story. All We Imagine As Light is not about romance in the way that we generally perceive it, between a man and a woman. It’s about the solidarity between the women and their friendship. The film doesn’t romanticise Mumbai. But there’s a certain magical quality about the city which, I think, has been best captured in this film. For instance, during the monsoon, before sunset or the hour right after, there is this electric blue in the sky. The film is constantly seeking out that luminosity. There is an isolation that these characters face because of the way the city is and their lives are. But there are also moments of connection between people who don’t come from the same worlds. That’s where the hope lies — in that empathy and connection that one feels towards another.
Many from your industry have chosen to move from Mumbai to Goa in recent years…
NP: I worked on my first film, a hybrid feature shot in Delhi, while I was based out of Goa. But moving to Goa works for those who’re more established in their careers. At this stage, I need to be in Mumbai. I also need to go to parties and galleries where I can meet like-minded creatives. If you go to a Versova coffee shop, you will find 10 individuals discussing scripts. Everyone is breathing cinema here. That’s one of the reasons I made my peace with the city.
PG: I too had moved to Goa, before the pandemic. I was a little fed up with Mumbai and wanted to slow down a bit. Initially, I would shuttle between Goa and Mumbai. But that got really hectic. And like Niki [Parikh] said, I don’t think our industry has decentralised. As of now, work is here.
AM: In the last couple of years, many of my colleagues have moved to Goa. If you are already established, you will get work through word of mouth wherever you are. Costume designers don’t have to be based here since sourcing is not done out of Mumbai specifically. So, there is a preference to move to a slower city for a better lifestyle which matters when you’re getting older. I’m 35 and I feel an increasing need to slow down with every passing day. Health is important. And that just goes for a toss here. This is especially true in our industry where we are constantly working 18-20 hours a day and there’s no work-life balance.
PC: If I am working on a film in Mumbai, there comes a point after the completion when I need to have a change of space. I cannot stay in Mumbai, I have to go somewhere, mostly…
AM: To unwind…
PC: …Ratnagiri…to unwind…otherwise…
PG: For me, strangely, I want to come back to Mumbai and unwind.
Piyusha, can you tell us about the difference in the tonality between the first and second halves of the film?
PC: Payal already had a visual of this electric blue. And if you see Mumbai from a bird’s-eye view during the monsoon season, all you see is blue. So that blue was an inherent part of the colour palette. The second part shifts the scene to Ratnagiri which not only has the sea but also lush green forests. That shift is not just spatial; it is also emotional. But even though the colour palette is made up of cool tones, it always had these bits of warmth in it, yellows and reds which are the hope and the light in the film, according to my interpretation.
Tell us about a film you watched recently that drew you in, especially in the context of the work that you do.
PC: I made an effort to watch as many films as possible in Cannes. I was moved by Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour and Kinds Of Kindness by Yorgos Lanthimos. I do not see every film with my work in mind. But in terms of production design, Kinds Of Kindness has a very distinct style of design which I think is extremely difficult to achieve, even though it is very minimal.
AM: Baby Reindeer on Netflix.
NP: Joyland by Saim Sadiq. It’s completely fresh. And the film deals with such complexities, like gender, queerness, power hierarchies, class. The soundtrack is also extremely immersive and gripping. This is Sadiq’s debut film — that’s the kind of quality we’re seeing coming out of the Subcontinent.
RS: Aavesham, Fahadh Faasil’s latest Malayalam movie. It’s an action-packed film, and I enjoyed it so much, even though that’s not my favourite genre. It’s because of the craft, it’s so well made. The perception that audiences had about films from certain regions in India being a certain way is changing now that people have access to and are open to watching films in different languages.
Is it intimidating to be part of a film that will go down in history --- especially considering the stage you are in, in your careers?
PC: For me, this was an ideal situation — to be out of film school and get to work on the kind of film that I have always hoped to be part of. I want to make films that I understand and are relatable. And these wouldn’t be restricted to any particular genre. As a production designer, I would love to explore crime, thriller, horror, dark comedy….
NP: I don’t think it’s intimidating. It has given me a lot of confidence — the fact that I can work with film-makers of this calibre. And, in fact, raised the bar also, for me. I’m going to be extremely thoughtful about the projects that I pick next. I’m excited about the prospect of going back to Cannes, in the coming years, because regardless of the barriers — socially, politically — the scene is bursting at the seams, especially over the last couple of years, with films like Joyland, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, Kayo Kayo Colour? These have all been made by first-time film-makers.
AM: Before I joined All We Imagine As Light, I was on a period drama which was very costume-heavy. I was supposed to finish All We Imagine As Light and then get on to another period drama. So for me, this film was placed perfectly, and it felt much more organic. It is interesting how getting closer to reality served as a break for me.
All We Imagine As Light was being filmed this time last year. And now you have the Verve photo shoot tomorrow…brings back memories?
PC: Definitely.
PG: Especially when Google Photos goes: “On this day, one year ago…”!
PC: I have pictures of props popping up!
AM: Google Photos reminded me of my costume base [a tent where costumes and accessories are kept during an outdoor shoot] flying off!
Previous: Grit And Glory: Part 1
Next: Click here to watch the video interview with the crew members.